Unexpectedly Beautiful
by AprilMuggle
Summary: Rolf's research on the jabberknoll leads him to some unexpected discoveries. Virtually no plot. Written for the Hogwarts Houses Challenges Forum's Camp Hogwarts Scavenger Hunt Challenge
**A/N: So I have the same exact author's note as my other story, Mediocre-This was originally written back in the summer (August 29, 2015) for the Kayaking Challenge for the Hogwarts Challenges Forum's Camp Hogwarts. A few days ago, I realized it was completely written in code (not sure the actual word for it). I think it's because of the word processing program I used (Pages from Apple). So I've fixed it now. :/ Not my best work, but I'm going to keep this here...**

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Rolf Scamander sighed and checked his watch again. He was starting to feel very apprehensive about his new partner. They were late and Rolf was one for punctuality. He resorted to restudying his papers on the jabberknoll, adding last-minute notes int he margins.

"Hello, are you Rolf Scamander?" asked a dreamy voice behind him.

Rolf whirled around. Whomever he was expecting to see, it was not this barefoot, dirty-blonde girl in front of him. She was wearing a bright yellow dress (which Rolf figured could compare with the sun), earrings that resembled radishes, and what seemed to be a necklace of butterbeer corks.

"Er, yeah…hi," he replied uncertainly.

The girl practically beamed. "My name is Luna Lovegood, and I'm your assistant, I'm 21 and I am a huge fan of your grandfather, even though he didn't add the Crumple-Horned Snorkack in _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ , and I'm so excited to work with you, I heard you've already discovered another magical creature and got promoted to head of the new research division at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures after only two days there!" she finished, her eyes opening to huge blue circles to express her awe at this last piece of information.

Rolf briefly wondered if she was out of breath, before deciding to say something back. "I like your…er…earrings," he stated.

"Thank you! They're dirigible plums and—"

Rolf held up his hand and cut in. "I'd love to hear more, but we are really behind schedule," he told her, not entirely truthfully.

"Now," he said, adopting a professional tone. He tapped an old can he was holding and whispered, " _Portus_." The can glowed blue and he gestured to Luna. She placed a finger ont he can and right before they were jerked forward, Rolf prayed to Merlin that this mission would end very, very, soon.

It was 6:30 am in the morning and Rolf was not ready to deal with the insanity of Luna Lovegood. He sat on a log, sipped his coffee, and studied his map of the Vermont woods they were in. Rolf should have figured Luna was a morning person, too, he thought exasperatedly when he heard the unzipping of her tent. He pretended not to notice, however, and when she said her dreamy "Hello," he took a moment to close his eyes and pinch the bridge of his nose, hoping against hope that he would come out of this normal and sane, before turning around to face her.

It was late in the evening and Rolf was losing hope. They had found jabberknoll and followed it, until it had hopped under a bush. When they ducked down to look, however, it had disappeared along with all of its footprints in the soft dirt. Rolf and Luna hadn't seen any after that, and they figured the first one had warned its fellow birds.

They were turning back when Luna grabbed his arm and pointed into the branches of a tree. At first Rolf didn't see anything, but then he could make out a dark blue bird, which meant the jabberknoll was very old. He grabbed his sketchbook, taking field notes and drawing the bird which sat there, completely still, as the sun was about to dip below the trees. Luna was the one who noticed it open its mouth, and she grabbed Rolf's sketchbook out of his hands, putting it down beside them. He looked up just as the jabberknoll began to scream, and it sounded strangely beautiful in a different kind of way. It screamed and screamed and Luna grabbed Rolf's hand, and they both sat there with their own thoughts. The sky was rapidly changing, and when the jabberknoll finally fell silent, it was dark.


End file.
